Maeve never expected an invitation from her sister in Italy to change her life forever. Raised in Chicago, she's bubbly, fearless, and completely unaware of the dangerous world her family belongs to. Lara's engagement party should have been a celebration-but the moment Maeve steps into the villa, she catches the attention of Enzo, the dark, commanding older brother of her sister's fiancé. Tough, dangerous, and completely irresistible, he can't take his eyes off her. What starts as playful tension between a fearless woman and a mysterious mafia boss soon turns into something neither of them can resist. With secrets, rivalries, and a family feud that stretches back years, Maeve and Enzo must navigate love, loyalty, and danger... all while trying not to destroy each other. Between playful banter, mafia intrigue, and slow-burning desire, Maeve and Enzo discover that sometimes falling for the enemy can be the most dangerous game of all.

He was her first everything. She was his only softness in a world built on blood. They were childhood sweethearts-first friend, first kiss, first love-two hearts learning to beat in sync before the world taught them what their last names truly meant. In the world of mafia bloodlines, love means nothing when your name is wrong. Born into rival families, they were torn apart by a war that demanded loyalty over desire. Because in the mafia, love is a liability. Years passed. Families turned colder. Promises burned. Now, she wears another man's ring-a strategic engagement, a future carved in power. She buried every trace of him-of them-beneath silence and duty. Until the day he returns. And steals her. No explanation. No apology. Just chains of memory, venomous love, and a touch that still knows every inch of her soul. He is no longer the boy she loved. He is sharper now. Untamed. Unforgiving. Yet something lingers behind the rage in his eyes-something she doesn't understand. As they run from the enemies hunting them both, she's forced to confront the cruelest truth of all: The past never stayed buried. And the boy she once loved... may be the man who destroys her. *********************************** Started: August 09, 2025 Ended: September 26, 2025

Men were just pretty distractions she used and discarded. Commitment bored her. Control thrilled her. Until the night he just saved her. He wasn't a name she could tame-he was danger wrapped in secrets, a trap she walked into smiling. Now she's the one caged, tangled in silk, steel, and a desire that eats her alive. He doesn't return what he takes; he claims it until it shines only for him. But in the heat of their obsession lies the truth she can't outrun. He might know what happened to her best friend she'd die for. She has to choose between the man who's destroying her beautifully, or the best friend who vanished without a trace. In her twisted possession, she has become the one possessed. And he has found the perfect jewel to ruin. *********************************** Started: May 1, 2025 Ended: July 21, 2025

[The Wattys 2025 Shortlist] ********** She spent twenty-four years preserving herself for one man-only for him to choose her best friend instead. Tomorrow, they would vow eternity to each other, while she remained nothing but a spectator to a love she had longed for. Desperate, she devised a plan, one final chance to make him hers. A single drop of aphrodisiac, a carefully orchestrated encounter-she would take what was meant to be hers. But fate had other plans. In the darkness of her deceit, she fell into the arms of the wrong man. A ruthless, merciless, and identical in every way except for the shadows that clung to him like a second skin. Her trickery had backfired, and now, she was at the mercy of a man whose hunger knew no bounds. He devoured her, claimed her, and became intoxicated by her taste, scent, and the desperate, helpless moans she never intended for him. She had set a trap, but it was she who had been ensnared. In her desperation, she had tasted her own poison. And he had found a new obsession. *********************************** Started: March 22, 2025 Ended: April 21, 2025 Revised: August 2, 2025

She was raised on Sunday hymns. He lived by Friday prayers. She valued structure. He carried peace. Their differences should've been a warning, but the pull between them was hard to ignore. Aiferniza Key Claramoza and Hafzajid Mateen Rabbani. She told herself their bond was harmless. That maybe, just maybe, love could survive between two people with such different truths. Until one secret unraveled everything-and love was no longer just about hearts, but history, family, and faith. How do you hold on to someone when your whole world tells you to let go? She tried to stay strong, unfazed by the noise and the past. But some truths were never meant to be silenced. And maybe this time, even love can't promise to never faze you. Date started: 02-14-24 Date ended: 06-24-25

Fretzie Cruz learned how to disappear long before anyone noticed how glowing she was. An artist in every sense, she keeps her brilliance hidden-choosing shadows over attention, silence over being seen. Angelo Montgomery, on the other hand, is unraveling. Consumed by anger and loss, he retreats from a world he no longer understands, carrying feelings from a past he refuses to face. They meet in the quiet. Always searching for hidden corners, saying nothing-until their shared silences begin to feel like safety. Angelo finds peace where his anger softens. Fretzie, for the first time in a long while, finds rest. Near him, sleep comes easily. Unforced. Unafraid. What begins as coincidence turns into comfort. What turns into comfort slowly becomes something deeper. But healing asks difficult questions. What happens when the past refuses to stay buried? How do you trust love when you've learned to fear it? And how do you prove your heart is choosing differently this time? In the space between pain and possibility, Angelo and Fretzie learn that love doesn't always arrive loudly. Sometimes, it comes softly- like the golden hour, where everything is gentle, fleeting, and finally safe.

Kio Soledad de Merced always kept his life quiet and private. He never wanted anything flashy and grand. Attention and spotlight were the two things he never wanted to have. Calm and easy, that's how he preferred his life. Shiloh Lumiere Bendia's life was far from what he wanted, she was born for the spotlight. Living under the scrutinizing eyes of the world, Lumiere's life consists of cameras and flashes following her whenever she moves. The world gravitates around her, and everyone who sees her is drawn to her light, including him. The moment he saw her on that stage with the spotlight shining on her, he knew he would spend his whole life admiring her from afar. But with the twist of fate and a little luck, his fate might have changed. A secret moment. A lingering stare. Quick stolen moments behind the camera that no one knows about. But to what extent can they sacrifice for a losing battle they knew they would never win? To love is to risk. To risk requires courage and courage is only found in places we're too scared to take. ---- Date Started: March 2025 Date Finished: June 15, 2025